Thoughts on U. Rochester???

[banannie]

Hey everyone,

I'm trying to cut down the list of med schools I'm applying to. I'm a NJ resident and have 22 so far, plus 2 others I'm still considering. Curriculum-wise, I think that U. Rochester would be a perfect match for me. But the location . . . ugh
I live with my boyfriend, who is planning to follow me to wherever I go to med school. So far, he's refused to give me much input as to where he would like or not like to live. Last night, I got him to admit that he really wouldn't be happy living in Rochester, NY, especially considering the weather and how far away it is from everyone we know. And that got me thinking, hey, I really don't think I'd like to live in Rochester either. But I'm still hesitant to take it off my list, because I have a feeling it could be an ideal school for me. (and yes, I do realize that my chances of getting into any particular med school are small)

Can anyone who knows more about Rochester, give me any input? I'm too stingy to just throw out $100 to apply to a place that I wouldn't want to go.

Thanks!

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[jot]

hey, i know quite a bit about the area and medical school. the curriculum they have there is amazing (double helix) and the students honestly love it. it is a solid school and attracts excellent students. though the dean of the medical school who transformed the curriculum to its amazing state (he left harvard because they wouldn't implement everything) is going to be the president of case western next year, it should still continue its tradition of extremely strong science background and a strong emphasis on patient care. george engel, who invented the biopsychosocial model (science 1972, one of the most cited articles of all time) was at the school for almost 50 years up until his death 2 years ago, and has been succeeded by many who uphold his legacy. there is extensive patient contact, and i believe the whole thing with actors who come in as standardized patients thing was started there. the students place well, and strong hospital is massive and serves as the level 1 trauma center for western new york, so it sees many people.

the facilities are new and amazing, the aab center, and kohlberg biomedical building where med students reside are state of the art, and the student lounge is one of the best i've seen. the undergrad campus very nice lookin and is right next to the medschool.

about the location: the weather is sh*te. the undergrad has tunnels underneath it and are used extensively. i'm a very mood-weather dependent person, and february makes me want to shoot myself. the summers are incredibly nice (apparently), and if you are busy it is almost not noticeable.

there is quite a bit to do in the area, it takes a while to find. lots of great restaurants (as with all cities i imagine), the eastman school of music (best in the country) is there and attracts world-class performers on a weekly basis and since its part of URochester you can go for free. the "beach"/lake ontario is about 15 minute drive.

all this said, i would rather eat glass then spend another 8 years there (applying md/phd), but perhaps it would be a different story if it were only 4. there is apparently fierce in house competition to get in from the undergrad because lots of people want to go there for medschool and they only accept a few. things to think about at least. i'd say apply, a lot of people love the school after visitng. goodluck.

-jot

 

[SicVic]

When your picking schools - you have to balance out your choices into two categories

Schools that you get into - Top Choice(s) (where you really really want to attend)
Schools that you get into - Any other (you wont mind if it was the only place that choose you).

Rochester has a great program. If you sortof like the program maybe the $100 might not be too much of a waste. Cause you decide where is best for you - when you have choices between (a) school(s) that have accepted you.

 

[simpleG]

Jot,

Can I ask how you knew the intimate details of the program so well? I know that come interview time I'm going to need to study up, but I haven't really found a good way to do that. The websites and the MSAR aren't nearly as complete as your description. Anybody have tips on med school research?

How about you just write one of these for every school you know about...heh.

Thanks...

 

[jot]

simpleG,
i have to admit that i have a rather unfair advantage on urochester, considering i'm an undergrad there. all of that information is firsthand. however, i could probably do that for about a couple dozen other schools just from trolling around their websites, firsthand information and looking for information that is meant for only incoming students (i.e. y-axis blueprint at yalemed). i always have 10 minutes here and there while at work, and they don't like us visiting non-academic sites very often, so this is a good alternative. i'm sure if you asked people on this site for a marginally objective description of a school you'd probably get something good. goodluck.
-jot